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Past Questions — 2023
Basel Convention is related to-
A)
Ozone Layer Depletion
B)
Earth Summit
C)
Sustainable Development
D)
Trans Boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes
The Basel Convention (1989) is an international treaty designed to reduce and regulate the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and prevent their transfer from developed to less developed countries.
Which of the following is not included in the National Food Security Mission?
A)
Oilseeds
B)
Wheat
C)
Rice
D)
Pulses
The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was launched by the Government of India in 2007 to increase the production of food grains to ensure national food security. The primary focus of the NFSM is on crops that are critical for food security.
1. Rice (Option c) and Wheat (Option b) were the initial and primary focus crops of the NFSM to ensure the availability of staple cereals.
2. Pulses (Option d) were later integrated into the mission (NFSM-Pulses) to address the protein deficiency and reduce import dependency.
3. Oilseeds (Option a) are managed under a separate specialized mission called the National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) or previously under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and other specific oilseed schemes, but they are not part of the core 'National Food Security Mission' (NFSM) framework, which specifically targets food grains and pulses. Therefore, Oilseeds is the correct answer as it is not included in the NFSM.
Harshacharita was authored by:
A)
Harshavardhana
B)
Kalidasa
C)
Bana Bhatta
D)
Harishena
Harshacharita was authored by the court poet Bana Bhatta.
Which of the following is NOT a Vedanga?
A)
Nirukta – Etymology
B)
Vyakarana – Grammar
C)
Kalpa – Ritual instructions
D)
Virakta – Philosophy
The six Vedangas are Shiksha (phonetics), Kalpa (rituals), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (etymology), Chandas (metrics), and Jyotisha (astronomy). 'Virakta' is not one of the Vedangas.
Maternal Mortality rate is-
A)
Female deaths that occurred before the 9th month of pregnancy
B)
The annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births due to pregnancy
C)
The annual number of female deaths per 10,000 live births due to pregnancy
D)
The death of females that occurred within 3 months of child delivery
In standard demography and health statistics, Maternal Mortality Ratio/Rate is defined as the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births resulting from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes.
At present, which of the following offices/organizations compile Poverty Estimates in India under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
A)
National Statistical Office
B)
National Sample Survey Office
C)
Finance Ministry
D)
Central Statistical Organization
Step-by-step reasoning: 1. Historically, poverty estimates in India were primarily conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and the Central Statistical Organization (CSO). 2. In May 2019, the Government of India merged the NSSO and the CSO to create a single integrated entity called the National Statistical Office (NSO). 3. The NSO operates under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). 4. Consequently, the NSO is now the official body responsible for compiling poverty estimates, conducting household surveys, and releasing national accounts. Therefore, while NSSO and CSO were the previous entities, the 'present' organization is the NSO. Option (c) is incorrect as the Finance Ministry manages budgets and fiscal policy, not the primary statistical compilation of poverty data.
2023 QS World Universities Rankings have included how many Academic Programmes from India within Global Top 100?
A)
22
B)
33
C)
44
D)
12
According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, India saw a significant improvement in its global standing. Specifically, in the 'Rankings by Subject' category, India had 33 academic programmes ranked within the Global Top 100. This growth was driven by strong performances in fields such as Engineering, Technology, and Pharmacy, with institutions like the IITs and IISc contributing heavily to this count. Option 'a' (22), 'c' (44), and 'd' (12) are incorrect as they do not match the official data released by QS for the 2023 cycle regarding the number of Indian programmes in the top 100.
Indian constitution does not provide any procedure to remove the
A)
President
B)
Vice President
C)
Governor
D)
Judge of Supreme Court
The Indian Constitution provides specific mechanisms for the removal of several high-ranking officials, but not for the Governor. Here is the detailed breakdown:
1. **President (Option a):** The Constitution provides a detailed procedure for the removal of the President through a process called 'Impeachment' under Article 61, on the grounds of 'violation of the Constitution'.
2. **Vice President (Option b):** The Vice President can be removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by an effective majority and agreed to by the Lok Sabha, as per Article 67(b).
3. **Judge of Supreme Court (Option d):** Judges of the Supreme Court can be removed by the President on the recommendation of Parliament after an address is passed by both Houses of Parliament with a special majority on grounds of 'proved misbehaviour or incapacity' (Article 124(4)).
4. **Governor (Option c):** The Constitution does not provide any specific procedure or grounds for the removal of a Governor. According to Article 156, the Governor holds office 'during the pleasure of the President'. This means the President (acting on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers) can remove a Governor at any time without providing a reason or following a formal removal process. Because the removal is based on 'pleasure' rather than a prescribed 'procedure', the Governor is the correct answer.
According to the latest economic survey of Mizoram 2022-23, the per capita income of Mizoram during 2021-22 is
A)
1,64,708
B)
1,75,896
C)
1,79,5031
D)
86,133
According to the Economic Survey of Mizoram 2022-23, the per capita income of the state for the year 2021-22 was recorded at ₹1,75,896.
In the union government the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the:
A)
President of India
B)
Rajya Sabha
C)
Parliament
D)
Lok Sabha
Article 75(3) of the Indian Constitution explicitly provides that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
According to Niti Aayog’s First Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report released in November 2021, the State with the highest poverty ratio in India is
A)
Orrisa
B)
Bihar
C)
Jharkhand
D)
Uttar Pradesh
In NITI Aayog's inaugural National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report published in November 2021, Bihar recorded the highest poverty ratio in the country with 51.91% of its population classified as multidimensionally poor.
Which of the following banks has recently launched India’s first pocket-sized swipe machine for accepting digital payments called “MicroPay”?
A)
Axis Bank
B)
State Bank of India
C)
HDFC
D)
United Bank of India
Axis Bank launched 'MicroPay', which is India's first pocket-sized swipe machine (Point of Sale or POS device) designed specifically for small merchants and micro-entrepreneurs. The device is designed to be compact, portable, and easy to use, allowing small business owners to accept digital payments via cards and other digital methods without needing bulky hardware.
- Option (b) State Bank of India, (c) HDFC, and (d) United Bank of India have their own digital payment ecosystems and POS solutions, but the specific product named 'MicroPay' was introduced by Axis Bank to target the micro-merchant segment.
Loo is a local wind found in:
A)
Congo basin
B)
Alps mountain
C)
Sahara Desert
D)
North western India and Pakistan
Step-by-step reasoning:
1. Definition: 'Loo' is a strong, hot, and dry summer wind that blows over the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
2. Geographic Location: It is characteristic of the subtropical regions of North Western India and Pakistan during the months of May and June.
3. Characteristics: It can cause severe heatstrokes and dehydration due to its high temperature and low humidity.
Evaluating other options:
- Congo Basin: This region is characterized by tropical rainforest climates and does not experience 'Loo'.
- Alps Mountain: This region experiences alpine winds and cold currents, not hot desert winds.
- Sahara Desert: While the Sahara has hot winds (such as the Sirocco or Harmattan), the specific term 'Loo' is exclusive to the South Asian subcontinent.
India is an example of __________ state.
A)
Federal
B)
Unitary
C)
Quasi-Federal
D)
Quasi-Unit
India is characterized as a 'Quasi-Federal' state (famously described by constitutional scholar K.C. Wheare) because it combines a federal structure with strong unitary features.
Increase in concentration of a toxicant at successive trophic level is called
A)
Bio-magnification
B)
Succession
C)
Eutrophication
D)
Biotransformation
Step-by-step reasoning:
1. **Analysis of the Question**: The question asks for the term describing the increase in the concentration of a toxicant (such as heavy metals or pesticides) as it moves up the food chain from one trophic level to the next.
2. **Evaluating Option (a) Bio-magnification**: This is the correct term. Biomagnification (or biological magnification) occurs when persistent, fat-soluble toxins are absorbed by organisms and cannot be easily excreted. As predators eat large quantities of prey from the level below, the toxin accumulates in higher concentrations at each successive level of the food chain.
3. **Evaluating Option (b) Succession**: Ecological succession is the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time (e.g., primary or secondary succession). It is unrelated to toxicant concentration.
4. **Evaluating Option (c) Eutrophication**: This is the process where a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus), leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen. It is a water pollution process, not a trophic level concentration process.
5. **Evaluating Option (d) Biotransformation**: This refers to the chemical modification of a substance (like a drug or toxin) by an organism, usually to make it easier to excrete. While it relates to how toxins are handled, it does not describe the increase in concentration across trophic levels.
Conclusion: Option (a) is the only term that fits the definition provided.
In the Sun, helium is produced from hydrogen by
A)
Disintegration
B)
Fission
C)
Fusion
D)
Radioactive decay
The Sun generates energy through a process called nuclear fusion. Specifically, in the core of the Sun, extreme temperature and pressure allow hydrogen nuclei (protons) to overcome their electrostatic repulsion and fuse together to form helium nuclei. This process, primarily occurring via the proton-proton chain reaction, converts a small amount of mass into a massive amount of energy according to Einstein's equation E=mc².
Why other options are incorrect:
- a. Disintegration: This is a general term for the breakdown of a nucleus, not the synthesis of a heavier element from a lighter one.
- b. Fission: Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus (like Uranium-235) into smaller nuclei. This occurs in nuclear power plants, not as the primary energy source of stars.
- d. Radioactive decay: This is the spontaneous breakdown of an unstable nucleus into a more stable one, usually emitting radiation. While it happens in the universe, it is not the process that produces helium from hydrogen in the Sun.
Which one of the pairs given below is/are correctly matched? 1. Chilka Lake - Odisha 2. Lake Pulicat - Tamil Nadu 3. Lake Sambhar - Gujarat 4. Wular Lake - Jammu and Kashmir
A)
1, 2 and 3
B)
2, 3 and 4
C)
1, 2 and 4
D)
1, 3 and 4
Chilka Lake is in Odisha (1), Pulicat Lake borders Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (2), and Wular Lake is in Jammu and Kashmir (4). Sambhar Lake (3) is in Rajasthan, not Gujarat.
In the context of the Mizos, ‘kuang ur’ usually lasted for
A)
One month
B)
Two months
C)
Three months
D)
Four months
In traditional Mizo funeral customs for chiefs and distinguished persons, 'kuang ur' (the smoking/baking of the corpse inside a log coffin over a continuous fire) typically lasted for three months until only the bones remained.
The word ‘Socialist’ was inserted into the Preamble of the Constitution by:
A)
The Constitution (Thirty-Eight Amendment) Act, 1975
B)
The Constitution (Thirty-Nine Amendment) Act, 1975
C)
The Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act, 1976
D)
The Constitution (Forty-Fourth Amendment) Act, 1978
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 added three new words—'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity'—to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Who has been recently appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Mizoram University?
A)
Prof. Samba Shiva Rao
B)
Prof. Ghanashyam Deka
C)
Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka
D)
Prof. Mukesh Kumar Yadav
Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka was appointed and assumed office as the Vice-Chancellor of Mizoram University.
Which one of the following is not ionizing in nature?
A)
Microwave
B)
UV rays
C)
Beta rays
D)
Gamma rays
Microwaves are non-ionizing radiation because they lack sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules, unlike UV, Beta, and Gamma rays which are ionizing.
Which among the following correctly defines Global 200?
A)
An annual list of top ranking 200 companies released by Forbes Magazine
B)
List of 200 World Heritage Sites released by UNESCO
C)
List of 200 Cities which are of strategic importance by UNO
D)
List of 200 Ecoregions identified by the WWF for conservation
The Global 200 is WWF's blueprint of 200 ecoregions prioritized for global biodiversity conservation.
Article 371G was inserted into the Constitution of India through the:
A)
Constitution Fifty-second Amendment Act, 1986
B)
Constitution Fifty-third Amendment Act, 1986
C)
Constitution Fifty-fourth Amendment Act, 1986
D)
Constitution Fifty-fifth Amendment Act, 1986
Article 371G was inserted into the Indian Constitution by the 53rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1986, giving special autonomy and customary law protection to the State of Mizoram.
‘Moho Discontinuity in the interior layers of the earth is in between:
A)
Crust and Mantle
B)
Outer and Inner crust
C)
Mantle and Core
D)
Outer and Inner core
The Mohorovičić (Moho) discontinuity marks the boundary between the Earth's crust and the underlying mantle.
Match the following and select the correct ones: Biosphere Reserve: State A. Nanda Devi - 1. Odisha B. Manas - 2. Sikkim C. Simlipal - 3. Tamil Nadu D. Kangchenjunga - 4. Assam E. Gulf of Mannar - 5. Uttaranchal
A)
3 4 1 2 5
B)
2 3 5 4 1
C)
5 4 1 2 3
D)
2 3 4 5 1
Matching Biosphere Reserves with their respective States: A. Nanda Devi -> 5. Uttaranchal (Uttarakhand); B. Manas -> 4. Assam; C. Simlipal -> 1. Odisha; D. Kangchenjunga -> 2. Sikkim; E. Gulf of Mannar -> 3. Tamil Nadu. The correct sequence is 5 4 1 2 3.